Laminate advantages?

[Inconnu]

Hi!

Got questions on laminate (even top) guitars.

Years ago, when I got my upright bass, the luthier who sold it to me said I’d be better off with a good laminate top then one made with a cheap (he said nasty) solid top.

Does that apply to acoustic guitars too?

And... just for fun, have you ever played a laminate top that you loved more then a solid? Just curious!

[macmanmatty]

Solid top guitars will always sound better than laminate tops. Always!! Solid back and sides will almost always sound better too. The only two advantages laminate has are it is cheaper and slightly more stable. But solid woods usually sound waaaaaay better.

[Neil K Walk]

That advice pretty much flies in the face of what's been espoused pretty much everywhere else.

The way I see it, the only advantage that laminated back and sides give is that they are more resistant to shock damage - making them a good choice for gigging with. As for the top, that needs to vibrate freely and sorry but something that's glued together in 2-3 layers of alternating grain directions won't do that nearly as well.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by macmanmatty

...Solid back and sides will almost always sound better too....

The exception to this being Guild's braceless arched high-grade laminate back guitars. There's a reason that tops - not backs - are called the soundboard.

[guitararmy]

I think it's hard to judge a laminate top on its own merits since they are usually used on inexpensive guitars with laminate bodies.

The only advantages I appreciate with a laminate guitar are low cost and relative resistance to temperature/humidity changes...

[hubcapsc]

I read where Japanese luthiers have been using "semi-solid"
(another word for laminate) backs and sides on lots of good
guitars for 30 or 40 years... here's a little bit of one of the blurbs
from an ebay seller I like to follow who has lots of high-end Japanese
guitars...

Back: Brazilian Rosewood/Chestnut/Brazilian Rosewood “laminates” /lacquer

Sides: Brazilian Rosewood “laminates” /lacquer

“Laminated” is quite unfortunate term regarding Japanese made guitars. These plates were made from 2 layers of solid wood glued together with natural resins. They were made so well that they performed as good as solid woods while being far less expensive in guitar production and far more resistant to cracking in regular use. In recent years many guitar makers around the world adopted a new term "semi-solid" to describe these plates.

I haven't played any of these guitars, but I like to fantasize about
sending him $1,200 and getting back a beautiful guitar that plays
like a $10,000 Martin ...

-Mike

[s2y]

There are a few high $$ acoustics with "double tops". I've never played one or heard one in person.

[Oldguy64]

Arch tops are often all laminate until you get into high 4 figures.
That said, I have a flat top acoustic that is a very good instrument, despite opinions and despite what I paid for it.
It is very surprising unplugged, and more so plugged in.
It is the Alvarez 5013 listed in my sig.
it’s forty years old, and it’s finally kind of stabilized tone wise about ten or twelve years ago.
It’s warm sounding, with a clear and articulate tone.
It’s not quite as loud as my MD70CE.
But those MIJ Alvarez guitars are in a different class imho.

[srbell]

I have an Epiphone pr-350 that is all laminate and sounds great. Not as great as my all solid Taylor, but I'm sure that has a lot to do with things besides solid vs laminate.
Better is subjective, and laminate or carbon fiber instruments are sometimes the best tool for the task. Each has it's pros and cons (i.e., everything is a compromise of some sort) so you have to pick the instrument that is the best fit for what you'll be using it for.

[Silly Moustache]

I Have also heard that laminates can be better on Basses. I believe this is mainly due to the strength -as a carved top/back that size is even more subject to humidity issues than the smaller guitar tops.

Ian, our bassist has a chinese built bass with a solid top and one day discovered a dramatic crack almost a third of the length of the top.

A luthier friend didn't seem at all surprised and had to remove the back to repair it. After which, apart from the "scar" it sounds much the same.

For acoustic flat and arched tops, we prefer solid woods for the tone and resonance, but if you are putting electronics into a guitar, it becomes just an acoustic shaped electric so laminated is as good as anything.

[redir]

Double top guitars are technically laminate top guitars but the design goal is very different then low budget laminate guitars. Traditional laminate guitars are low budget and that's that. Double top guitars are designed to make the lightest weight top.

Many fine guitars are made with laminate sides. The idea there being that the sides are stiffer. Laminating wood makes it stiffer which is a great idea for sides but not so much for tops.

But there is a time and place for everything. Laminate guitars are great for campfire or beach guitars as you don't have to worry about them so much.

[gfspencer]

I have several laminated Martins. They have solid tops. They sound good. I am not as concerned about humidity with them. I take them with me when I go on vacation. I keep one at my son's house for the times we visit him and his family.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by macmanmatty

Solid back and sides will almost always sound better too.

Michael Greenfield begs to differ.

[menhir]

Originally Posted by Inconnu

Hi!

Got questions on laminate (even top) guitars.

Years ago, when I got my upright bass, the luthier who sold it to me said I’d be better off with a good laminate top then one made with a cheap (he said nasty) solid top.

Does that apply to acoustic guitars too?

I'd say yes. Bearing in mind that, as others have posted, some types of guitars are meant to have a laminate top.

And... just for fun, have you ever played a laminate top that you loved more then a solid? Just curious!

No. But all the laminate guitars I ever played were cheaply built guitars. All the solid tops have been better guitars. That's a big variable.

While I'm at it: While I prefer a solid top guitar, I'm pretty indifferent to solid vs. laminate back and sides. As always, let your ears be the judge.

[GeneralDreedle]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

The exception to this being Guild's braceless arched high-grade laminate back guitars. There's a reason that tops - not backs - are called the soundboard.

Second, my Guild laminate, arched back is a fantastic guitar.